Best Of Times Cafe

Hopefully this review will help the owner to tighten up their business as its meant as constructive criticism. During the recent biker rally we noticed that the café was practically empty so we’d decided it would be convenient and quick. Lots of hired help but no one seemed liked they had a clue or had any training. The owner didn’t wear gloves while preparing the food, didn’t wash his hands once, the hot dog was served Cold, a sparse amount of fries, the vegetable sandwich had wimpy lettuce, no pride put behind the sandwich, no garnishes, just sucked. It wasn’t a deli sandwich just a sandwich that was like a beginner would prepare. Wouldn’t go back.

We went for lunch and service was excellent. Guy with beard was very friendly and the young lady who took the order was nice. Sandwiches were excellent, I would have given 5 stars if my veg delite sandwich was grilled and had mozarella cheese. Any way it is an AWESOME PLACE TO EAT!

The Fishermans Stew is excellent!

Sad but true. Once Terry sold this place the quality has slowly but surely gone down. For years my wife always ordered the cheese raviolis, which were wonderful and from a high-​end pasta provider. New owners stuck with them for awhile. However I ordered them last week and they were like the small, square, frozen ones you can get in a box from Costco. And they were undercooked. Really bad. Meal prices have increased while quality has gone down. Don’t even offer you bread with your meal anymore. Terry always used quality ingredients but the current owners seem to be cutting costs. It’s a shame as this was one of my favorites. Won’t be back.

Fifteen minutes of waiting with like three booths
Then «literally 60 seconds ill get your order» so i found a stop watch app on my phone took about a minute to press start two minutes after that no waitress
So we got up and heard a yell thank you sorry

The new owner, Paul is wonderful as well as his food. We hire Best of Times to cater our church Christmas banquet & we were very happy with all the food and service. Thank you for your hard work!

Mom wanted a good soup & salad; unfortunately our options in Hollister are limited. I’ve frequented this place when Terry was the owner & once after it was sold, so I wasn’t sure what was served and how it was going to be. I’m pleased to report the food was delicious, the waitress very attentive, and the owner was just as welcoming. The owner gave us each a sample of minestrone soup to begin with. The flavor was delicious with generous sized vegetables. For lunch I had the chicken artichoke sandwich which was also very flavorful and a garden salad. Everything served was fresh. I will definitely keep this on my list of go to places that serve something other than tacos & burritos. (Which btw I love :-)).

Super friendly owner — came in just for a cup of coffee and he was such a nice guy that I stayed for lunch.
The food is good — not great but good. But the service is friendly and top notch and the whole place has that wholesome small town diner ambience thing down pat: formica soda bar, milkshakes, and a truly incredible cash register that looks like a steampunk work of art.
And BTW, to the hater who ate here free for year and then wrote a shitty review: you’re clearly an asshole.

Awesome Minestrone soup! They are the only place in Hollister that I know of that has a taco salad, a good Taco salad at that. My husband loves the roast beef melt. Paul and his staff were very helpful with the catering of our department and we will definitely be ordering again.

It’s Sunday afternoon and I decided to look up some new places to check out in Unilocal for lunch. This place came up and I couldn’t resist due to the great reviews. Definitely lives up to its reputation!
It was barely noon and it opens at 11 so it was not busy at all which is totally fine by me! Got the chicken pesto sandwich which was extremely delicious. Very nice service. Waitress (didn’t catch her name) was very happy and accommodating. I believe the chef is also the owner (not totally sure but it seemed so).
Our sandwiches were delicious and service was very fast and happy. Definitely saw about 5 more sandwiches that I must try and also the dinner menu had some very appetizing things that are beckoning my return.

Been here a couple of times. The extensive menu is a blessing for a couple with different tastes. The food is always hot (or cold if you get a sandwich or salad) and plentiful. We’ve never been disappointed or left hungry! The servers are always friendly & smiling. The chili & minestrone hot, chunky & yummy. The pasta dishes are too much to eat in one sitting. The sandwiches are filling & made on such fresh bread! The one thing I’ve yet to try, and will are the «blue plate» specials, like meatloaf. I can only imagine how yummy that will be! A real Hollister gem & must try for yummy lunch sandwich or comforting, filling dinner!

We moved to Hollister, seven months ago. In our search for a great local restaurant. And based on Unilocal reviews. My wife and I found this great little café. Arrived for an early dinner on a Friday. The food was delicious, (we had two of their specialty sandwiches) and the customer service was great! Terry (the owner) was a real pleasure. He told us a great story about the origin, of his 1902 National cash register. We will definitely be back!

This little café in the heart of Hollister is a hidden gem! My dinner was as good as some of the 5 star restraunts I have been to. The owner was more the willing to tweak a recipe for my food allergy. My meal was unbelievable! I was up at midnight eating the leftovers cold. It was chicken. With apples and cranberries sides were «fresh» vegetables and a wild rice that couldn’t be beat! If you haven’t eaten here your missing out! Thank you to the staff for making my dinner such an enjoyable experience!

I have passed by this place plenty of times as I’ve run downtown… But i’ve never really given it much thought except that it looked nice on the inside.
A friend of mine came back into town today and he took me there to grab a bite to eat. The inside décor is similar to that of a malt shop or throwback diner. Inviting, and warm. We sat at the bar stools at the front counter to get a better look at the puzzles on the walls. It was all very nice.
The service was great and everyone was friendly. Very attentive and helpful. We even met the owner, Terry. What a nice guy. He had a story to tell about the sandwich I had chosen and it was sweet. (I bet he has many stories, and I could probably listen to him talk forever.)
The menu had quite a variety of things on it, which ultimately made it hard to choose. However, at the advice of my friend, I had to pick a speciality sandwich. My god, those are delicious! All the produce was extremely fresh and the flavors of the meat, bread and fillings were so mouth watering! The sandwich was piled high and was appropriately messy. If it was appropriate to lick my fingers, I probably would have!
I look forward to going back and trying some of their other delicious dishes and perhaps a malt, when they get their ice cream situation in order.
Overall, I definitely recommend this place. Convenient location, friendly service, and great food. Complete satisfaction from beginning to end.

This local is fantastic! We has the Signature Café sandwich & minestrone soup which was superb! And very reasonably priced. This place has been here for 16 years & this is the first time we’ve tried it. I really love the ol diner décor. We will definitely be back!

Had the turkey croissant sandwich that was really pretty good, although it had very thirsty bacon, made me drink a lot all afternoon. My friends all had these beautiful, fresh salads with all kinds of ingredients.

Nice place. Atmosphere is perfect for a small downtown place. All the food is good and fresh.
My only complaint would be that the service seems a bit cold. For a place that is really warm and inviting when you walk in, you would expect the service to match it. A really warm and interactive host/​hostess would make this place a regular on my eating out list

Great LOCAL spot!
Support the local businesses!
Go here for excellent home cooked food… sandwiches, salads, soups, everything is so fresh & tasty. Lunch seems to be VERY busy… so expect a short wait.
Great location in downtown Hollister, with plenty of parking!
Love this place for some great food that’s close to home.

If there was a 6^th star I would so click on it for this place. The food is sooooo good and down home and anybody who thinks otherwise has some wacked taste buds. My husband and I have gone numerous of times and each dish is awesome. I am the type that likes to order something different each time in order to try the different dishes. The meatloaf is great, the pot roast is awesome, fried chicken has the perfect batter, and sandwiches are mmm mmmmm good. AND the minestrone soup. OMG! Best minestrone soup I have ever had!
Yes it is a small place, But who cares! The owner knows what he is doing and you can tell by the oh so good dishes.

The Best of Times Café (formerly known as the Hard Times Café) is a gem. The owner, Terry, has got to be the hardest working guy in San Benito County. From his amazingly-​tiny kitchen, he can whip up just about anything, and it’s all good.
The menu is surprisingly varied and expansive, all things considered — especially when you take into account it’s all prepared in a space about the size of your car’s front seat. Whether you’re in the mood for a burger, pot roast, spaghetti, or anything in between, he probably offers it, and I’ve never had a bad experience.
His «Signature» sandwiches are pretty great, and I recommend the «Brooklyn Dodger», which is so stacked with lean pastrami that you can barely get it in your mouth. Also, there’s an entire page of «Signature» salads, each of which looks like it should grace the cover of Sunset Magazine. I totally recommend trying the California Chicken Salad; the presentation will blow you away, and it’s got a wide array of fresh fruits in it. Spectacular!
Terry also serves up a mean chocolate malt (the kind where you get the metal goblet as well). You can’t go wrong, really. Oh, and if he’s got the Navy Bean soup available, trust me… great stuff!
Come into Best of TImes Café. Relax, work on a jigsaw puzzle if he happens to have one in progress on the counter. Enjoy a step back in time, and have a bite! :-D